ok Paul here goes;
what's a resistance wire?
how would i build one?
what voltage/power source?
what would be the proper temp range for what thickness of vinyl?

i have never had any luck glueing plastics of any kind. what is the name of the glue that you are so happy with?

thanks;
daren....

: The best results I've had with heat sealing have been with a kitchen device
: used for sealing plastic bags of food. The makeup of this thing is a 1
: foot long heating element wire under a strip of nonstick tape. The ag goes
: on top of tis and the cover closes over it, bringing a rubber gasket over
: the lenght of the heating element, and giving an even pressure to the bag.
: As you press the lid closed, a switch turns the heating element on. In 10
: seconds you have a heat-sealed bag. I suspect there is a temperature
: control on the heating strip, or it just may be sized so that it does not
: get too hot.

: To jerry rig something like this, try drilling two holes about a foot apart
: in a sheet of particle board or plywood and run your resistance wire
: through, so it lies on the surface of the board. Make your electrical
: connections underneath, and rig a foot switch. Cover this with a strip of
: teflon plumbing tape which is 15 inches long. That should overlap the
: heating wire by about 1.5 inches on each side. You hold the teflon tape in
: place by taping the ends to your board with some duct tape. The teflon
: should be pretty heat resistant, and of course, non-stick, but you may
: need to replace it occasionally, too.

: To apply pressure to the seam while it is being melted, you can try using a
: board with a piece of foam window insulation -- similar to what is used
: for a hatch seal. Hinge the pressure board (with more duct tape?) to the
: board with the heating element, and try some scraps. You can keep the heat
: turned low and use a longer melting time, or you can turn the heat up and
: use a short time. Whichever you chose, put pressure on the seam before
: turning on the heat, and keep the pressure constant for 5 to 10 seconds
: after you turn off the heat. then you can open the pressure plate, and
: examine your seam. Do long seams in sections.

: A friend told me that he had good luck ehat sealing plastic materials with a
: soldering iron or soldering gun. The secret (he said) was to cover the
: seam line with a strip of aluminum foil, which would diffuse the heat. I
: know that if you don't use the foil your soldering iron or gun, it will
: melt right through the plastic, and get all globbed up with melting and
: burning plastic as you try to slide it along the seam line. When I have
: tried using foil I have not had consistently good results. sometimes it
: works, and sometimes the heat is too high and it just melts through. At
: least i don't get the melting palstic on the hot tip of the soldering
: iron. A temp controlled soldering iron might work better. Achieving a good
: speed (not too fast and not too slow) when sliding the soldering iron
: along the seam might work, too.

: If you are sealing an edge, you might try folding a strip of aluminum foil
: over it, and then using a clothes iron. This will give you the ability to
: apply pressure, and they have a temperature control. Play with the
: temperature range until you find something that works. The foil will keep
: the melted plastic off your iron and your workspace.

: Now that I think about it, since I found a good glue for vinyl I don't think
: have made any further attempts at heat sealing it. I have been that happy
: with the glue.

: good luck with this. let us know how it goes for you.

: PGJ